Meet the Participants
(Mobile view only)

Biggest current challenge: Cashflow constraints vs management execution capacity to support growth rates. Do we grow slower and more organically? Or do we continue to scale rapidly? 

​

Perspective to contribute: Shared experience / challenges of scaling a bootstrapped brand at >100% y on y

Biggest current challenge: Building a solid leadership team.

​

Perspective to contribute: I'm tech entrepreneur since 20 years, built a bootstrapped SaaS business currently at R160M ARR and am happy to contribute my learnings along that journey. Note I am Dutch (living mostly in Cape Town these days) which can be a pro or con being part of this evening as I might be coming in with different angles.

Biggest current challenge: Scaling the business in a soft advertising market. Have also always been intrigued by the founder's challenge of balancing family vs business when making financial decisions.

​

Perspective to contribute: The challenges faced by a bootstrapped business.

Biggest current challenge: Accessing more B2B clients.

​

Perspective to contribute: I have experience in building a lean business. We have built our business with limited funding and have survived over the years until now where we finally feel like it's taking off. I know how to navigate the external pressures as a founder to overcome the financial and societal pressures.

Biggest current challenge: Capital.

​

Perspective to contribute: Operating a low margin business in a highly competitive landscape, doing things twice as well for half as much.

Biggest current challenge: How to scale the business.

​

Perspective to contribute: Being a female entrepreneur is hard. I knew nothing about bags, and started a business making them. I did that in a country that is not my own. Through government inefficiency and ineptitude, I still don't have a residence visa, and I'm always jumping through hoops. Yet, I embrace the struggle, because that adds to the joy when things go well. I embrace the madness.

Biggest current challenge: Choosing the correct growth strategy.

​

Perspective to contribute: 20 years of navigating the good, the bad and the ugly. Perspective on how to read the trends and use creativity to grow.

Biggest current challenge: Prioritisation and capacity management.

​

Perspective to contribute: Grey hair and wrinkles from a couple of start-ups, through scale-ups, MBO, private equity ownership, and IPO.

Biggest current challenge: Fundraising and scaling up.

​

Perspective to contribute: I feel like bringing a diverse perspective from a biotech startup in Africa is helpful, biotech is not as well funded in Africa (or globally) and I think having someone who is not technical running a biotech company has a different perspective. I worked in consulting for a number of years and have also seen companies at large scale operate and it has been interesting to see what this means for a small company starting out with limited resources.

Biggest current challenge: Employing competent sales staff.

​

Perspective to contribute: Statistics and performance.

Biggest current challenge: Employing competent sales staff

​

Perspective to contribute: Statistics and performance

Biggest current challenge: Scaling the sales team beyond the exco successfully. In B2B industrial apps its really hard, especially if it's volume driven and not high margin sales.

Perspective to contribute:  I've bootstraped a company from nothing. Sold a portion to a JSE listed firm. Risen from the trough of negative cash flow, decided not to raise more capital as there's a lot of pressure to prove the profitability of the model (others ignoring revenue growth). I'm currently operating in SA, sadc, Peru, brasil, Europe, USA, Malaysia, DRC, Ghana, ivory coast, etc.
If I do look for another raise how do I get the current list of investors to break their traditional linear DCF models for more traditional balance sheet driven businesses?

Biggest current challenge: Financial management and 'growing pains' (in a good way)

​

Perspective to contribute: Founded my business 13yrs ago from zero clients to over 8000 clients - Believe in your product or service, hang in there, there is an element of luck, it takes way longer than you think, never underestimate the power of networking.

Biggest current challenge: Developing a repeatable b2b sales cycle. 

​

Perspective to contribute: I have been an entrepreneur since high school. In fact when I was 4 years old I took my baby table and chair outside and 'stole' food from my parents kitchen cupboard and attempted to sell it back to them. I have since founded and partnered in 5 different ventures (1 exit) within travel, e-learning, film and media. I have a knack for getting things done / MVPs launched, whilst using minimal resources (financial and human) to achieve initial stages of success within a new company.

I believe I will contribute considered thoughts through my perspectives that have very much been formed through action/doing, as opposed to my understanding of business theory.
 

Biggest current challenge: How to grow operationally while still playing a key technical role (which is also the area I'm most passionate about).

​

Perspective to contribute: Raw, honest contributions on behind-the-scenes challenges while maintaining a well-run public front. How a non-profit org with a global Mission has the same challenges as a for-profit operation - but without the shareholder financial benefits.

Biggest current challenge: Buying my business partner out & selling shares to a potential investor.

​

Perspective to contribute: To always bring in consultants when needed, don’t be scared to ask questions and to never stop developing new products and ideas.

Biggest current challenge: Constantly having the grow my personal skill sets in a fast scaling business as CEO. (Raised 100 million ZAR in equity and debt & doubled our team in the last two years).

​

Perspective to contribute: Built two companies (Both successfully exited locally and Internationally ) on to my 3rd, 7 years in. (B2B2C developing intelligent technology for risk management and energy efficiency in the home).

Biggest current challenge: Founder dependence, lack of technology, systems and structure as the business and trends grow.

​

Perspective to contribute: Holistic approach to business - the importance of aligning your business to personal values and commitment to sustainability. Building a strong team and fostering workplace culture. Adaptability and resilience in the face of unforeseen circumstances.

Biggest current challenge: Getting the employee mix right for the current and planned business stage.

​

Perspective to contribute: Discussing what employee behaviours are non negotiable.

Biggest current challenge: I've made mistakes in hiring before and thus have been hesitant to start hiring, focusing rather on trying to automate as much as possible before making my first full-time hire.

​

Perspective to contribute: As a solo founder, I've bootstrapped Shopdeploy to a R2.5m p/a business. It's been a lonely journey. I've actively tried to seek out a community of entrepreneurs who have faced the same issues. This has been mostly successful.

Additionally, I'd be able to contribute valuable insights on selling to SMMEs. The majority of Shopdeploy's customers are entering the e-commerce retail space for the first time, so I've spent lots of time thinking about how to acquire and retain customers in this relatively new industry in South Africa.

Biggest current challenge: Scaling. Putting the right people in positions to assist with this process.

​

Perspective to contribute: A strong understanding of our workforce and the socio-economic factors they are facing.